THE Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) military personnel will today donate blood as part of the army’s 58th anniversary celebrations.
Speaking on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam, Director of Information and Public Relations, Lt. Col. Gaudentius Ilonda said TPDF marks 58 years since its establishment in September 1964 whereby the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Jacob Mkunda will lead the exercise which will involve all military personnel in their respective camps.
“ It’s our responsibility to continue serving our people even during peace days , so during our 58th anniversary all our men and women in various camps will donate blood as we know ‘The gift of blood is a gift to someone’s life’ , he said .
Besides, donating blood to the blood bank , TPDF military personnel will also take part in environmental cleanliness in their respective camps and vicinity areas and also participate in interactive games with the community.
“ Our 58 years anniversary commenced since August 26 with various activities including free medical services to the community which involved three regions Dar es Salaam, Coast and Urban West in Zanzibar engaging colleagues from East African Cooperation members armed forces,” said Lt. Colonel Ilonda.
He added that EAC members armed medical personnel from Democratic Republic of Congo, (DRC), Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and host Tanzania participated in the 4th East African Community (EAC) Armed Forces’ Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Activities Week hosted in Tanzania from August 26 to 31 prior to the TPDF Day to be marked at national level in Dar es Salaam .
The armed forces medical personnel from other EAC member states conducted free medical camps as well provided donations to various orphanage centres and elderly home care and in three regions in the country picked for the event.
The places which benefited from the CIMIC activities week which went simultaneously with TPDF Day anniversary are Magomeni , Kigamboni health centres, Mbagala hospital in Dar es Salaam , Kibaha health centre at Maili Moja and Bagamoyo hospital in Coast region and Mpendae health centre and two other which will be named later.
According to him all medical equipment and pharmaceutical drugs left after the CIMIC activities week will be handed to the respectively centres and hospitals where the activities were conducted.
Apart from the free medical services also they will provide social service to the community such as donation to orphanage centres and Elderly home cares where they will donate building materials like iron sheet , cements , blocks, tiles to name a few.
The orphanage centres and elderly home to benefit from the event are Yatima Trust group (Chamazi), Hiari Orphans Centre(Mbagala Rangitatu) , Kurasini Orphanage centre run by the government, Lady Fatima Orphanage and Nunge Elderly home (kigamboni) in Dar es Salaam.
Others are Amani Orphanage centre (Bagamoyo), Shalom Orphan centre and Buloma Children foundation (Picha ya Ndege) in Coast region.
EAC Armed Forces’ CIMIC week is a routine exercise meant to enhance regional integration on Defence matters by giving service to community and is held under the spirit of the EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs whose four pillars include military training, joint operations, technical cooperation, visits and exchange of information.
